Post by johnlawitzke on Aug 4, 2017 13:25:04 GMT -5
In the WAYS thread, haebar asked me what I thought of my Calabresi VSQ pipe. I realized that the answer that I ended up typing should be it's own post...
Tom Cristiano made two brands of pipes: T. Cristiano and Calabresi. You can read a little about Tom at these two links: pipedia.org/wiki/Cristiano and iapscnet.startlogic.com/store/cristiano.html
There were a few different series within both brands. The T. Cristiano lines in general were higher up the scale than the Calabresi lines. However, the higher end Calabresi lines are a little better than the lower end T. Cristiano lines. Calabresi VSQ is the top end Calabresi line. T. Cristiano Signature is the top end T. Cristiano line. (Ignoring the $1,000 Millenium line) T. Cristiano Signature pipes are stamped with a letter and a two digit number. The number is the year the pipe was made. The letter is a grade stamp from A (highest) to F (lowest). F grades usually have some spot rustication. A grades are flawless with perfect graining.
How do I know about these brands? It's because I am a regular at Paul's Pipe Shop. Back when Tom Cristiano passed away in 2005, Paul Spaniola bought up the vast majority of Tom's warehouse. This was 10,000+ pipes, plus unfinished stummels, equipment, etc. As a result, I have looked at a LOT of T. Cristiano and Calabresi pipes.
A short while back, a seller turned up on eBay who was selling a bunch of Cristiano Metamorphosi pipes. If you look closely, you'll see that almost all of those have filters. Paul hated filters. What the eBay seller has been selling is the stuff from Tom Cristiano's warehouse which Paul did not buy 10+ years ago.
In my collection, I have 2 T. Cristiano Signature pipes (one grade A and one grade C), 2 Calabresi VSQ pipes, 1 Calabresi pipe, and 1 Spaniola pipe made from an unfinished Calabresi stummel. Spaniola pipes are made at Paul's Pipe Shop in addition to Cayuga pipes. Some Spaniola's are made from bowls turned at the shop and some Spaniola's are made from unfinished Calabresi stummels.
If price equated to quality... The Cristiano and Calabresi pipes at Paul's still have the price tags which Tom Cristiano put on them prior to 2005. ie Adjust these prices for inflation to today's prices. A smooth Calabresi $90, a blasted Calabresi VSQ $90, a smooth Calabresi VSQ $120, T. Cristiano Signature $175 (grade F) to $500 (grade A).
One thing that I have found with Calabresi pipes is that I need to do some airway modifications to meet my personal preferences. I funnel the airway at the tenon face and the slot. The original slot funnel is way too shallow for me. I have not needed to do any airway modifications on my T. Cristiano Signature pipes.
Pipe porn...
Calabresi:
Calabresi VSQ:
Calabresi VSQ:
T. Cristiano Signature grade C:
T. Cristiano Signature grade A:
Spaniola made from unfinished Calabresi stummel:
Tom Cristiano made two brands of pipes: T. Cristiano and Calabresi. You can read a little about Tom at these two links: pipedia.org/wiki/Cristiano and iapscnet.startlogic.com/store/cristiano.html
There were a few different series within both brands. The T. Cristiano lines in general were higher up the scale than the Calabresi lines. However, the higher end Calabresi lines are a little better than the lower end T. Cristiano lines. Calabresi VSQ is the top end Calabresi line. T. Cristiano Signature is the top end T. Cristiano line. (Ignoring the $1,000 Millenium line) T. Cristiano Signature pipes are stamped with a letter and a two digit number. The number is the year the pipe was made. The letter is a grade stamp from A (highest) to F (lowest). F grades usually have some spot rustication. A grades are flawless with perfect graining.
How do I know about these brands? It's because I am a regular at Paul's Pipe Shop. Back when Tom Cristiano passed away in 2005, Paul Spaniola bought up the vast majority of Tom's warehouse. This was 10,000+ pipes, plus unfinished stummels, equipment, etc. As a result, I have looked at a LOT of T. Cristiano and Calabresi pipes.
A short while back, a seller turned up on eBay who was selling a bunch of Cristiano Metamorphosi pipes. If you look closely, you'll see that almost all of those have filters. Paul hated filters. What the eBay seller has been selling is the stuff from Tom Cristiano's warehouse which Paul did not buy 10+ years ago.
In my collection, I have 2 T. Cristiano Signature pipes (one grade A and one grade C), 2 Calabresi VSQ pipes, 1 Calabresi pipe, and 1 Spaniola pipe made from an unfinished Calabresi stummel. Spaniola pipes are made at Paul's Pipe Shop in addition to Cayuga pipes. Some Spaniola's are made from bowls turned at the shop and some Spaniola's are made from unfinished Calabresi stummels.
If price equated to quality... The Cristiano and Calabresi pipes at Paul's still have the price tags which Tom Cristiano put on them prior to 2005. ie Adjust these prices for inflation to today's prices. A smooth Calabresi $90, a blasted Calabresi VSQ $90, a smooth Calabresi VSQ $120, T. Cristiano Signature $175 (grade F) to $500 (grade A).
One thing that I have found with Calabresi pipes is that I need to do some airway modifications to meet my personal preferences. I funnel the airway at the tenon face and the slot. The original slot funnel is way too shallow for me. I have not needed to do any airway modifications on my T. Cristiano Signature pipes.
Pipe porn...
Calabresi:
Calabresi VSQ:
Calabresi VSQ:
T. Cristiano Signature grade C:
T. Cristiano Signature grade A:
Spaniola made from unfinished Calabresi stummel:
